Donyell Malen has needed just one match to become one of the first proper names of the new season in Italy. The forward of Roma scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 rout against Fiorentina with which Gian Piero Gasperini's team kicked off Serie A 2026-27.
The Dutchman scored in the minutes 27, 52, and 60 at the Olimpico in Rome. The three goals also had the same assistant: Paulo Dybala. Niccolò Pisilli completed the score in the 86th minute to close a victory that allows the giallorossi to start the championship with three points.
Beyond the hat-trick, the figure that explains Malen's impact in Italy is in his production since he arrived at Roma. The attacker has already scored 17 goals in his first 19 Serie A matches, after netting 14 in 18 matches during the second half of last season and adding another three in his debut in the new championship.
From the Ajax and Arsenal academy to Roma
Born in Wieringen, Netherlands, in 1999, Malen went through the Ajax academy before joining the youth ranks of Arsenal. His professional career took off at PSV Eindhoven, where his ability to attack spaces and his speed began to place him among the most promising Dutch forwards.
His performance later took him to Borussia Dortmund and then to Aston Villa. When he arrived in Rome in January 2026, he had experience in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, in addition to a solid track record with the Dutch national team.
Roma initially acquired him on loan from Aston Villa with an option to buy. Just four months later, they confirmed his definitive acquisition and announced a contract until June 30, 2030. The final operation was around 25 million euros.
17 goals in his first 19 Serie A matches
The performance he has offered since his arrival explains the speed with which Roma decided to bet on his continuity. During the second half of the 2025-26 season, he scored 14 goals in 18 Serie A matches. With the hat-trick against Fiorentina, the tally rises to 17 in 19.
Malen has needed around 1,546 minutes to score those 17 goals, which means approximately one goal every 91 minutes. The data shows that his production does not depend solely on the number of matches: he is practically scoring one goal for every complete match played.
The historical comparison reinforces the impact. No footballer from Roma had reached such a figure after their first 19 appearances in Serie A since the implementation of three points for a win in the 1994-95 season.
Malen surpasses Batistuta's scoring start
The inevitable reference is Gabriel Batistuta. The Argentine arrived at Roma in 2000 as one of the great scorers in world football and was decisive in the team that won the Scudetto that season.
After his first 20 league matches wearing the Roman shirt, Batistuta had scored 15 goals. Malen already has 17 after playing only 19 Serie A matches with the club.
The comparison does not yet make the Dutchman a historically comparable figure to Batistuta, but it does allow for a perspective on his start. Malen has managed to surpass in immediate production one of the most important forwards to have worn the Roma shirt.
Three goals from Malen and three assists from Dybala
The debut against Fiorentina also left another signal for Gasperini: the connection between Malen and Paulo Dybala. The Argentine provided the final pass for each of the three goals from the Dutchman.
The first came in the 27th minute. After the break, Malen again took advantage of a pass from Dybala in the 52nd to beat the opposing goalkeeper. Just eight minutes later, the same partnership produced the third and completed the hat-trick.
The understanding between the two provides Roma with a particularly dangerous combination: Dybala can receive between lines and generate the final pass, while Malen offers speed, mobility, and the ability to attack the area. Against Fiorentina, that complementarity translated directly into three goals.
From fast winger to center forward
Part of Malen's transformation is related to his position. During different stages of his career, he was used as a winger or second striker, particularly taking advantage of his speed and ability to start from wide positions.
In Rome, he has found continuity playing much closer to the goal. That position reduces some of his obligations away from the area and exploits one of the characteristics he has been showing best since his arrival in Italy: the ability to finish plays with few touches.
The result is reflected in his numbers. The 17 goals in 19 matches make the Dutchman one of the main offensive references of a Roma that aspires again to compete at the top of Serie A.
Roma paid 25 million after only four months
When Roma announced his definitive signing on May 26, Malen had already scored 15 goals in 20 matches across all competitions since his arrival in January. The club then decided to secure his continuity until 2030.
The definitive operation was closed for 25 million euros, after an initial loan from Aston Villa. The subsequent performance has quickly reinforced the bet: the forward has started his first full season in Rome exactly as he finished the previous one, scoring.
The 4-0 against Fiorentina now serves as the first warning of the new campaign. Malen has not only started with a hat-trick: 17 goals in 19 Serie A matches and an average close to one goal every 91 minutes make his explosion in Rome something more than a good streak.